Greek Tuna & Bean Pasta Salad

Let’s count all the ways to love this Greek Tuna & Bean Pasta Salad! It’s packed with a homemade bright and zingy lemon dressing! That only takes 5 minutes to make! It’s full of crunchy celery and refreshing cucumbers! That’s not all! Toss in some salty feta and creamy cubes of mozzarella cheese! Buttery black olives and tangy kalamata olives! Oh! And don’t forget all those fresh herbs! Tender parsley and thyme! And, if you have them, fresh minced chives add a little bit of onion~y special something!

Let’s get ready for summer eats!

Mother Nature has played some cruel jokes on us this “Spring.” Hard to believe two weeks ago it was snowing here in Ohio! Thankfully Sprummer {Spring/Summer, get it?} is finally here! Some warm-ish weather arrived, and I and my winter white legs are ready for shorts and flip-flops—hot dogs and hamburgers! And, chilled make-ahead salads enjoyed with a glass of crisp white wine on a blanket in the backyard! Especially this Greek Tuna & Bean Pasta Salad!

What are your plans for Memorial Day Weekend? Hopefully, you can get outside and enjoy some beautiful weather! Having a giant bowl of this pasta salad waiting when you are ready to eat is ideal for the warmer days ahead! In less than 30 minutes, you’ll have this dish done and your kitchen cleaned! Bring on the fun! And the wine!!! If you’re curious about the little crackers in the photo above, they are my Sourdough Cornmeal and Thyme Crackers. I rolled half the dough on a sheet of parchment and transferred them to the baking sheet. Using a pizza cutter, I cut the dough into squares. They bake about 35-40 minutes. Such a delicious accompaniment!

You can totally customize this pasta salad!

I pretty much came up with this recipe based on some odds and ends I needed to use up! We’ve been visiting the grocery store every 3-4 weeks. If you’re doing the same, take stock of what’s in your fridge and pantry that you could adapt to this recipe.

No feta cheese in the house? Use Asiago instead! It has that little bit salty/little bit tangy quality that feta does! Yum!

Not a fan of tuna? Grilled chicken would be a fantastic addition!

No sour cream in the fridge? Use Greek yogurt instead! I used sour cream because that’s what I had!

Well, that’s it for today! I hope you get the opportunity to make Greek Tuna & Bean Pasta Salad this weekend! I would love it if you would leave a comment, rate, and review this recipe! Also, follow me on Pinterest and keep up to date with what’s going on here at Yums & Kisses! I wish you and your family a safe and Happy Memorial Day!

Instructions

Make the Dressing:

In a medium bowl whisk together the ingredients for the dressing until well combined. Place in the refrigerator while you prepare the salad ingredients.

For the Salad:

Cook the elbow macaroni in a large stockpot of boiling salted water according to the package directions. Drain in a colander and rinse thoroughly with cold water for a minute or two. {I cooked my pasta for about six minutes~ I like it al dente!}

Place the salad ingredients and cooked pasta into a large bowl. Pour one cup of the dressing over the salad. Reserve about a half cup of the dressing for serving at the table.

Stir to coat the ingredients with the dressing.

Chill until serving time or enjoy right away!

Notes

Excellent served with a crisp, chilled Pinot Grigio {just sayin’!}

Pasta salad will keep in the fridge for three days.

If you have some pepperoncini, they will be fantastic sprinkled on each serving!